By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 14, 2024
Matteo Berrettini continued his stellar form on his beloved grass, taking out James Duckworth to reach the last four at Stuttgart.
Photo Source: TTV
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 14, 2024
Matteo Berrettini on grass: all he does is win.
The Italian improved to 7-0 in quarterfinals on his favorite surface – and 39-8 lifetime – with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Australia’s James Duckworth at the Boss Open in Stuttgart.
Berrettini, a two-time champion (2019 and 2022) at the event, will face Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals on Saturday.
Berrettini cracked 13 aces and dropped just 10 points on serve. He won 33 of 37 first-serve points and never faced a break point, while capitalizing on two of eight break opportunities to close out Duckworth in 87 minutes.
“I think it was a really solid match, especially on the serve,” Berrettini said. “I felt like the rhythm on the serve was really good – on grass it’s really important.
“In the right moments I stepped inside the court and played really aggressive. It’s really important to put a lot of returns in the court, that’s what I tried to do and it worked out.”
Why is it so hard to beat Berrettini, who has won four of his eight career titles on the surface, on grass?
“You should ask my opponents,” he said. “I think obviously my weapons, my serve. It pays off on grass to be aggressive, and that’s what I like to do. I’m using the slice as well. I think it’s important to play good in important moments, and being able to put pressure on the opponent when I’m serving it’s really important.
“I don’t know, just when I step on grass I feel really good. I want to play for hours and hours…”
95th-ranked Berrettini improves to 8-2 on the season and 12-1 lifetime at Stuttgart.
In the top half of the draw, Jack Draper hammered 31 aces to edge Frances Tiafoe in a third-set tiebreaker. The 22-year-old is up to a career-high No.33 in the live rankings, and will face Brandon Nakashima in the semis.
Nakashima advanced via walkover, after Jan-Lennard Struff pulled out due to illness.
"My last three tie-breaks in the third set I have lost them all, so to come through today is amazing and I am really proud of my level. I am really happy with how I served and it was a really high-quality match,” Draper said after the two hour and 13-minute tussle with the 28th-ranked American.
Tiafoe drops to 12-13 on the season.